The Stubborn Suitor, Book 2 (The Stubborn Suitor #2)(4)

Cami bit her lip. It was all she could do not to scream. The allegations were completely ridiculous, but she had expected that. Yes, since she was a nurse, her schedule featured long hours and, often, night and weekend shifts. But she took ten to twelve hour shifts in order to only work three of four shifts a week. And during that time, Madison was always with Cami’s mother, not some stranger.

“Although my client’s schedule is somewhat erratic,” Michael replied, “she very rarely works more than forty hours a week. And during that time, Madison is with her grandmother, Cami’s mother. She is still with family.”

“Be that as it may, but the child is still out of the home for long periods of time, often late into the night, which disrupts her sleep schedule and her regular routine. My client feels he can provide a more consistent day-to-day life for the child. As it is obvious at this point that no conclusion can be reached today, I suggest we move forward with the trial.”

Cami felt like she’d been punched in the gut at those words. She had hoped that after their lawyers had talked things out, Ken would see how unfit he was to be a father, how much better Madison was in Cami’s care. It wasn’t like Ken wanted Madison as anything other than a trophy, a way to prove that he had a perfect little family.

However, it was becoming apparent that he wasn’t going to stop pursuing this. Cami wasn’t sure if she had the finances to see things through, but there was no way she was giving up primary custody of her daughter. Instead, she turned to Michael and nodded, giving him permission to move ahead as well.





3





Cami





Cami was able to hold back her emotions—though just barely—until she was safely in her car. Still in the parking lot, wedged between two cars that each probably cost twice as much as her entire net worth, Cami finally let out a sob. That sob was followed by another until she was heaving as the tears rained down her face.

It wasn’t fair that, with Ken’s wealth, he could get whatever he wanted, whether or not he deserved it. He might gain primary custody of Madison simply because he had more resources and connections than she did. Cami didn’t have the money for a long, drawn-out court battle. And Ken’s family knew many of the judges in town—there was always a chance they would get appointed a judge that owed the Bellamy family a favor.

For the first time, Cami really began to fear that she’d lose Madison. Madison, whom she had raised, not Ken. Ken could barely be depended upon four days a month. She’d been there for Madison through middle of the night feedings and diaper changes, through teething and potty training. Where was Ken when Madison had a fever? Or when she’d had a bad dream and needed to be consoled and rocked back to sleep?

It wasn’t just the principle; it wasn’t even the fear of feeling like a failure as a mother—her whole life revolved around her daughter. Madison was Cami’s everything, and she just couldn’t lose her daughter.

And it wasn’t only for selfish reasons that Cami feared a change in custody. She honestly didn’t believe that Madison was safe with Ken and Natalie. They might have the money to take care of a child, but they definitely didn’t have the maturity, commitment, or love—no matter what kind of display they were putting on this morning. Cami knew Ken and she knew that he wasn’t man enough to raise their daughter.

“It’s not going to happen,” Cami said to her dashboard, willing herself to calm down. “It’s not going to happen! I won’t let it happen. No matter what, Ken isn’t going to win!”

Cami took a few more deep breaths and focused on calming her mind. She thought about the mischievous smile, strawberry-blonde hair, and adorable freckles on her daughter’s face—the daughter she would be able to go pick up from her mother’s apartment as soon as she was calm enough to do so.

She reached into her purse and pulled out her phone, needing to look at the picture of Madison that she kept as her lock screen. It was strategically placed there to bring a smile to her face, and now it was a life-line. But, no sooner than she had the phone in her hand, it began to ring.

“Speak of the devil,” she said, glaring down at Ken’s name. She debated whether or not to answer, but he might be calling to apologize. Perhaps he had realized that he wasn’t responsible enough to raise Madison himself.

“Hello, Ken,” Cami said tentatively once she’d accepted the call.

“Cami, hey,” Ken said warmly. His tone threw her off, especially considering the icy silence between the two of them during the meeting. “How are you doing?”

“I’ve been better,” she said, though she was trying to school her voice into a confident tone.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Sorry about that. Today sucked.”

“Yes. Yes, it did,” she agreed. “What do you want, Ken?”

“I just…I hate this…us sitting across the table, as if we’re strangers. We were married for years, for God’s sake.”

Cami heaved a sigh of relief—the first real relief she’d felt in weeks. Ken was backing down. She had called his bluff, and now he was coming to his senses. This would all be over soon.

“Yeah…” Cami replied after a moment, her voice warming up. “It was weird. So, what do you suggest?”